Coroner called to western Pa. standoff scene

Friday, July 19, 2013

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — A death has been reported at the scene of a western Pennsylvania standoff, where an armed robbery suspect had kept police at bay for about 18 hours before they were seen disarming and preparing to withdraw a special tactical team from the scene.

"There has been a death confirmed at the scene," Westmoreland County Deputy Coroner Sean Hribal told the Associated Press.

Although police haven't said who was killed, state and local police officers could be seen packing up at the scene in Latrobe, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. Among other things, officers were seen removing body armor and were milling about far more casually than they had during the standoff.

The incident began shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday when a pharmacy robbery suspect identified as 23-year-old Scott Murphy refused to come out of the home.

Hribal said he can't confirm the dead person's identity, but police have said the only officer hurt at the scene was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital with a nonlife-threatening injury.

Police cordoned off the block where Murphy lived and even shut off electrical power to the area for several hours, urging some residents to evacuate and warning others to stay indoors as the standoff stretched into Friday afternoon.

Police were led to the home by a license plate number given by a witness to the robbery. Murphy doesn't own the car, but someone else who lives in his home does and he reportedly had permission to use it about the time of the robbery, police said.

When police arrived at Murphy's house, other people came out but Murphy refused.

"The family members advised that he has several handguns and long rifles," Thomas said.

As the standoff stretched through Friday morning, it wasn't clear what, if any, progress was being made. Negotiators could be heard yelling at Murphy through bullhorns.

"Nothing but a loser in there," one negotiator yelled, while later Murphy was disparagingly called "a girl" at another point. Murphy has reportedly told police he would not be taken alive. At various points, police could be seen firing flash-bang grenades into the home, which are meant to disorient armed suspects.

At another point, a camera mounted on a small, remote-controlled robot was sent into or near the house. Such devices are used to help police see into standoff situations without endangering officers.

After nearly 18 hours of a stalemate, an officer was injured after several shots were heard being fired from the home about noon. It was not immediately clear if the officer was shot or otherwise wounded, but he was carried to the rear of an armored state police vehicle before an ambulance took him from the scene.

Minutes later, at least three officers in military gear climbed onto the roof of a front porch and fired several shots into an upper room where Murphy was believed to be hiding. About 30 minutes later, officers at the scene relaxed visibly and the coroner's office had been summoned to the scene.